Tendon Lengthening

Should I allow tendon / hamstring lengthening for my 14 year old son with cerbral palsy? Is it temporary?

[tony140]

no its not temporary. with exercise it will stay. i had my leg and arm done when i was younger and it has stayed

[bigsisterk]

my sister had that done on her hand and leg and foot. she also has cp. there is signs of improvement, but there was also more problems like nerve damage and scaring. she has already had 3 differant surgeries.

[college1]

I walked on my toes until I got it done, it's been almost 14 years since then. I may come up on my toes some but not a lot, it's well worth it. Just keep it exercised and your son probably wont have to get it done again. As for the scaring, yeah there will be one but it fades and then it's hardly noticable. God Bless!

[nancynurse729]

I am a 42 year old woman with mild cerebral palsy.  I had the achilles tendon lengthening done when I was 16 & 18 years old. It was the best thing that my parents ever did for me!!! After the surgeries, my self-esteem and confidence soared.  My gait is much improved!! As we all know, there is no cure for CP but, I definitely believe this surgery was well worth it for me.  

After the surgeries, my gait, posture, and balance were and are so much improved!!! If you decide to do the surgery, just make sure your son is fitted for orthotics after the surgery.  The orthotics help with his gait, posture, & balance.

Let me know if or when he is having surgery.  I wish you and your family all the best. Good Luck & take care.

Today, I am a happily married woman with 2 beautiful healthy children and I work as a Registered Nurse..

God Bless

Nancynurse729

[Holly1113]

I just found your post from last year.  Why did you have the tendon lengthening at 16 and again at 18?  My 7 year old is scheduled for this procedure next week (she has mild cp).  I was curious if the 1st procedure did not work.  Thanks for any information.

[AB1988]

How did the surgery go. My son is turning 8 and we have been thinking about the surgery for him. We know a girl who had it done, but I am always curious to hear other people's experiences. My son is borderline spastic quadraplegic (he exercises 2-3 hours every day) so they categorize him as both quad and di. I get so inspired when I hear how things have gone for people with the surgery. We always want what's best for our kids, right? Was the recovery difficult for your daughter? We were hoping to get it done this summer, but having just moved to an entirely different location, has put us at the end of the list. Does your daughter seem to be more confident?